Rerolling device for graphic meters.



H. B. TAYLOR.

REROLLING DEVICE FOR GRAPHIC METERS.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT-25,1914.

Patented July 4, 1916,

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INVENTOR Ham/a 5 75 40) WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD B. TAYLOR, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTING-HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

REROLLIN G DEVICE FOR GRAPHIC METERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

To all whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I. HAROLD B. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of \Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in RerollingDevices for Graphic Meters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rerolling devices, and it has particularreference to devices for rerolling the record paper that is used ingraphic or recording instruments.-

The object of my invention is to provide a rerolling device that willmaintain a substantially constant tension on the record paper,irrespective of the amount that is rolled upon the roller.

Heretofore, rerolling devices for graphic instruments were operatedthrough permanently tensioned belts that were driven by clocks orelectric motors. A device of this kind was impracticable because of theinability of the belt to slip properly as the amount of paper rolledupon the roll increased. Thus, the tension on the paper fre quentlystopped the clock or the motor if the belt did not slip enough, and, ifit slipped too much, the paper was fed into other parts of theinstrument.

I provide a device that allows the belt to slip substantially inproportion to the tension of the paper on the roller. Thus, the paper isalways held taut, and a positive rerolling action is insured.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a fragmentary side elevationalview of a graphic measuring instrument that embodies my invention; Fig.2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the instrument shown inFig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the instrumentshown in Figs. 1 and 2. I,

A roll 1 of paper is rotatably mounted between brackets 2 that form thesupports for the recording'mechanism of a graphic measuring instrument.A feeding roller 3 and a rerolling roller 4 are also rotatably supportedby the brackets 2 and are so arranged that the paper is fed from theroll 1 by the roller 3, over a plurality of guiding members 5, to thererolling roller 4. The roller 3 is driven through a gear wheel 6 by aclock mechanism (not shown), and the rerolling roller 4 is driven by theroller 3 Zhrough a device 7 that embodies my invenion.

The device 7 comprises a pivotally mounted member 7 the pivotal point ofwhich coincides with the axis of the roller 4, a rotatable member 8 anda spring 9. The rotatable member 8 comprises a pulley 8 and a sprocketwheel 10 that drives the roller 4 through a chain 11 and a sprocketwheel 12 mounted on the shaft 13 of the roller 4. The spring 9 isattached, at its upper end. to the pivotally mounted member '2' and, atits lower end, to a stationary projection 14 upon one of the brackets 2.The lower end of the spring 9 is screw threaded and is provided with aknurled head nut 15 for adjusting its tension. The roller 3 is mountedon a shaft 16 which is also provided with a pulley 17 that is connected,by a belt 18, to the pulley 8 of the rotatable member 8.

It will be seen from the drawing that the shafts 13 and 16 are apredetermined distance apart and that the axis of the movable member 8is also a predetermined distance from the axis of the shaft 13 but avariable distance from the axis of the shaft 16, such distance beingdependent upon the relative tensions of the spring 9 and the belt 18.The tension on the belt 18 is, in turn, dependent upon the tension ofpaper being rolled upon the roller 4.

As the amount of paper that is rolled upon the roller 4 increases, thetension of the paper increases, When this tension increases to apredetermined amount. it is desirable that thebelt 18 slip sufficientlyto relieve the tension on the paper, so that the roll 3 will be free tooperate and, consequently, the clock will not be stopped. It will bereadily seen that, when the tension of the belt 18 is increased beyond apredetermined amount which is sufficient to turn the roller 4 inopposition to the required tension of the paper, the spring 9 willbecome tensioned and the pivotally mounted member 7 will move to reducethe distance between the axis of the roller 3 and that of the rotatablemember 8. Thus, the belt 18 will slip an amount proportional to thetension of the paper being rolled is correctly adjusted, a substantiallyconstant tension may be maintained on the paper, irrespective of theamount of the same that is rolled upon the roller 4.

I do not limit my invention to the specific structure shown as manymodifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a rolling device, the combination with a feeding roller, and avreceiving roller, of a rotatable member, a belt for operativelyconnecting the feeding roller to the rotatable member, and a gearingmeans for operatively connecting the rotatable member to the receivingroller, the tension on the belt being adapted to vary to maintain asubstantially constant torque on the receiving roller.

2. The combination with a feeding roller, and a receiving roller, of atransmission device therebetween comprising a rotatable member, apositive driving connection between the rotatable member and thereceiving roller, and a belt for operatively connecting the rotatablemember and the feeding roller, the friction of the belt being adapted tovary under predetermined conditions to maintain a constant torque on thereceiving roller.

3. In a rolling device, the combination with a roller for feeding aflexible fabric and a second roller for receiving said fabric, of apower-transmitting device comprising a rotatable member having a fixeddistance between its axis and the axis of the second roller, a flexibleconnecting means between said first roller and said rotatable member,and means for decreasing the distance between the axis of said rotatablemembers and that of said first roller in substantial proportion to theincrease in tensionof the fabric being rolled on said second roller.

4- In a paper rolling device, the combination with a feeding roller anda receiving roller, of a rotatable member mounted on a pivotally mountedarm, abelt for operatively connecting the feeding roller to therotatable member, and a positive driving means for connecting therotatable member to the receiving roller, said belt being permitted toslip in accordance with the tension of the paper on the receivingroller.

5. In a paper rerolling device for a recordmg instrument, thecombination with a roll of paper, a feeding roller, and a receivingroller, of a rotatable member mounted on a pivotally mounted arm, a beltfor operatively connecting said feeding roller to said rotatable member,and means for operatively connecting said rotatable member to saidreceiving roller, the tension on said belt being adapted to vary inaccordance with the tension of the paper on said receiving roller.

6. In a paper rerolling device for a recording instrument, thecombination with a roll of paper, a feeding roller and a receivingroller, of a pivotally mounted arm having a pivotal point coincidingwith the axis of said receiving roller, a rotatable member mounted onsaid pivotally mounted arm that is connected to said receiving rollerthrough a positive driving connection and to the feeding roller througha belt, and a resilient member for varying the distance between the axisof the rotatable member and the axis of said feeding roller.

7. In a re-rolling device, the combination with a roll of paper, afeeding roller and a re-rolling roller, of a rotatable member having a.fixed distance between its axis and the axi of the re-rolling roller, aflexible connecting means between the feeding roller and the rotatablemember, and means for decreasing the distance between the axis of thefeeding roller and that of the rotatable memher in accordance with thetension of the paper on the re-rolling roller.

8. A rolling device comprising a feeding roller and a receiving rollerhaving a fixed distance between their respective axes, an auxiliaryrotatable member, a belt for operatively connecting the feeding rollerto the auxiliary member, a positive driving gearing for operativelyconnecting the auxiliary member to the receiving roller and a spring foryieldingly restraining the movement of the auxiliary rotatable membertoward the feeding roller.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd dayof Sept,

HAROLD B. TAYLOR. Witnesses B. H. SMITH, B. B. HINES.

